Kevin Spacey Found Not Liable In Sex Abuse Suit
Kevin Spacey just scored a big victory in the sex abuse lawsuit brought by actor Anthony Rapp ... because he's been found not liable.
The jury reportedly took less than an hour to deliberate Thursday after a 2-week trial.
As we reported, the "Star Trek: Discovery" actor sued Spacey for $40M in 2020 ... claiming he met the disgraced actor in 1986 while performing on Broadway in "Precious Sons."
Rapp said Spacey invited him, 14 at the time, to a party at his home on the East Side of Manhattan. Rapp alleges Spacey, without consent, made an unwanted sexual advance -- allegedly grabbing his buttocks, lifting him onto a bed, and laying on his body.
Spacey denied the allegations in court, with his lawyers claiming Rapp made the story up due to him being jealous of his success in the industry.
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Astroworld Family of Victim Settles Lawsuit
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1:13 PM PT -- A source connected to the case tells us it's Live Nation, and not Travis, who is paying up in the settlement.
12:40 PM PT -- A source close to Travis tells us, "No member of Travis Scott's team has been involved in any Astroworld settlement discussions."
Festival organizers are working to put the legal fallout from Travis Scott's Astroworld tragedy behind them ... reaching a settlement with one victim's family, marking the first known settlement of all of the cases surrounding the deadly music festival.
Attorney Tony Buzbee, who reps the family of Axel Acosta, tells TMZ ... the family settled out of court after suing Travis, Live Nation and others.
Remember ... 21-year-old Axel died from injuries suffered at the November 2021 concert. Buzbee previously told us Axel traveled all the way from Washington to see the Houston festival and was a huge Travis fan.
Terms of the settlement are confidential, Buzbee says, and the family wants people to remember Axel as a "beloved son, brother and student" who was also "kind and loving" and is "greatly missed."
While Travis is done with the first of the many lawsuits against him ... the legal side is far from over. There were 10 people in total who died at Astroworld, and Travis is still dealing with lawsuits filed by others impacted by the tragic incident.
Originally Published 9:54 AM PT
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MCDONALD'S SHOOTING Charge Cop with Attempted Murder ... Teen Victim's Fam Fumes
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The cop who shot 17-year-old Erik Cantu at a San Antonio McDonald's should be facing an attempted murder charge instead of assault ... so says the teenager's family.
Erik is still fighting for his life in the hospital, and his family has retained attorney Ben Crump, who tells TMZ ... the Cantus feel the cop's current charge of aggravated assault is NOT enough.
Crump says the Cantu family thinks 25-year-old rookie officer James Brennand should be charged to the fullest extent of the law ... which they see as an attempted murder charge.
Cop Opens Fire on Teen Eating in McDonald's Parking Lot, Video
We're told Erik's family wants to see the officer behind bars ... they say he used excessive and unnecessary force when opening fire on Erik multiple times while he was simply eating a cheeseburger in his car at McDonald's.
As we reported ... Brennand surrendered to authorities and has been charged with 2 felony counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer after shooting Erik at the fast food joint. Brennand said he recognized the car as one used to evade police the day before the shooting. He turned out to be wrong, it was not the same vehicle.
Erik's family says he remains unconscious and on life support with no improvement in his condition ... and they've set up a GoFundMe to raise money for his recovery.
Crump says Brennand violated Erik's 4th Amendment rights by coming up to the car and opening his door in the parking lot. Remember, video shows the cop ordering Erik out of the car, but instead he put it in reverse ... the cop then fired multiple rounds which struck Erik.
We're told the Cantus are weighing all possible legal action, but have not made any decisions on a potential civil suit against the officer. For now, they remain at the hospital 24/7 by Erik's side as he fights for his life.
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Andy Dick What a Tool (Thief), Allegedly!!! Jailed Over Power Tools
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Andy Dick is facing a felony burglary charge in California after getting arrested yet again ... this time cops say he was stealing power tools from someone's garage.
The Santa Barbara Police Department tells TMZ ... officers busted Andy on Oct. 13, after responding to a report of a burglary in progress at a home.
Andy had removed several power tools from a home under construction, according to cops ... and they say they caught him red-handed trying to flee the property. The homeowner told police they don't know Andy, and he definitely didn't have permission to be there.
Since then, the Santa Barbara County D.A. has charged Andy with first-degree residential burglary, and he's pled not guilty -- however, one week later, he's still locked up.
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Interestingly enough, Dick posted a video from inside an abandoned house just last week ... so it's possible it's the same one he was busted inside.
We're told he is in the Santa Barbara County Jail waiting for someone to bond him out. His bail was set at $50K.
It's the second arrest for Andy in the last 6 months ... as we first told you, he was busted in May and accused of sexual battery and the arrest was live-streamed.
Andy's lawyer, Brian Mathis, tells TMZ ... a public defender is repping Andy in the Santa Barbara case, and they "are confident additional facts will come to light supporting Mr. Dick as this case moves forward."
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George Floyd Candace Owens, 'Drink Champs' Could Be Pulled into $250M Lawsuit ... Daughter is Traumatized
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1:50 PM PT -- Candace Owens just responded to what Gianna's legal team told us, saying, "What I love so much about George Floyd family's lawyers is how they keep talking to TMZ about "lies" in my documentary but keep neglecting to specify what the lies were! My documentary told NO LIES. They are simply angry that we exposed theirs and are running PR for BLM."
She continues, "The George Floyd story was the greatest lie ever spun by our media. My documentary successfully exposed their lies and people are understandably shocked at how twisted and sick our media is in their commitment to control the masses."
There may be more people who have to answer for what Kanye West said about George Floyd ... Candace Owens, N.O.R.E. and Diddy's Revolt TV could soon be in the legal hot seat, too.
The legal team repping Floyd's young daughter, Gianna, tells TMZ any and all possible defendants are on the table as they continue to explore their options in what will be a mega lawsuit regarding comments made on "Drink Champs."
One of the attorneys, Kay Williams, says Candace is an obvious would-be codefendant -- as the remarks Ye made were a direct reflection of stuff she put out in her new documentary, 'The Greatest Lie Ever Sold.' Williams says there are blatant lies mentioned in the film.
Nuru Witherspoon, another lawyer on the case says Ye's comments have retraumatized Gianna all over again, as she's being exposed to the new content.
Witherspoon notes that while they mentioned suing for defamation in their press release -- the actual suit would be rooted in intentional infliction of emotional distress and misappropriation ... because you can't legally defame a dead person, and Ye didn't mention George's family.
George Floyd's Daughter To Sue Kanye West For $250 Million
Still, both Williams and Witherspoon make it clear ... it's open season on anyone who perpetuated lies about George Floyd -- Candace and Kanye are the clear targets.
However, you have to imagine the folks behind "Drink Champs," REVOLT TV included, could be in their crosshairs as well.
One final member of the team -- attorney Pat Dixon III -- gets into even more detail about what exactly Gianna is going through emotionally, not to mention her mother. He tells us they're going down this road to preserve George's legacy for both him and his family.
Like we said, the suit hasn't been filed yet -- but Gianna's lawyers have already signaled an amount of money they want ... at least $250 million. FWIW, REVOLT TV has removed the controversial episode in question entirely -- and N.O.R.E. has attempted to apologize.
Originally Published -- 10:08 AM PT
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Chris D'Elia Accuser's Request for Permanent Restraining Order Denied by Judge
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The woman who accused Chris D'Elia of threatening to share intimate videos of her just took an 'L' ... a judge denied her request for court-ordered protection from the comedian.
D'Elia maintained from the beginning, he'd never met her Caroline Schmitz -- and Schmitz had threatened him and his family on multiple occasions through messages on social media ... yet she was the one who filed a restraining order against him.
Chris was in court Wednesday with his attorney Andrew Brettler -- Schmitz was a no-show -- and the judge denied the request for a permanent restraining order.
TMZ broke the story ... Schmitz was originally granted a temporary restraining order against Chris last month, claiming they met back in 2017 and hooked up several times. She says from there, Chris allegedly contacted her on OnlyFans in May, threatening to post intimate videos she'd recorded and telling her she needed to leave Los Angeles.
We obtained some of the deranged audio messages Schmitz sent to D'Elia where she threatens harm to his family and writes, "Have me killed or leave me the f*** alone - I'd die to get the hell away from your evil ass."
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Ye 'Good to Hear from You Bitch!!!' From Trolling to Trademark
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Kanye West hopes to turn his online trolling into a money-making business move ... filing to trademark phrases he's used in social media bashings against former friends.
Ye recently filed to trademark the phrases, "Good to hear from you bitch" and "Tremendez." Both were used in his fiery back and forth with his former friend Tremaine Emory.
Tremaine was one of the first to publicly call out Kanye after his Yeezy fashion show -- where he debuted the "White Lives Matter shirt -- because he was pissed Ye decided to use Virgil Abloh's name when addressing the crowd pre-show.
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Tremaine wrote, "I gotta draw the line at you using Virgil's death in your 'ye' is the victim campaign in front of your sycophant peanut algorithm gallery."
He also went on to defend Vogue editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, who Ye bashed after she criticized the Yeezy show.
Not long after Tremaine's post, Kanye posted a private text convo between them, where he greeted Tremaine with, "Good to hear from you bitch" -- the inspiration for his new trademark.
From there, Ye continued to bash Tremaine on social media, "AND TO TREMAINE I'M CHANGING YOUR NAME FOREEEEEVVVVVRRRRR. TREMAIN'S NEW NAME AS THE BLM OFFICER AT SUPREME ISSSS TREMENDEZ."
Kanye also created a logo, similar to the Supreme logo -- where Tremaine is the creative director -- and swapped the word with "Tremendez" ... the other trademark he's filed.
Petty? 💯 Will it make him money? You know it will.
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Jay-Z We've Got a Cognac Cri$i$!!! Sues Bacardi in D'Usse Deal
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Jay-Z wants to know just how much money his famous cognac line is making, and he's filed a lawsuit against his partners at Bacardi to get that information.
In docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, Jay-Z's company, SC Liquor, is demanding total financial clarity from Bacardi when it comes to D'Usse ... the top shelf cognac brand in which Jay and Bacardi are 50/50 partners.
Jay and the booze giant have co-owned D'Usse since 2011 ... he regularly shouts out the brand in his songs, and even drank it from one of his Grammys once to promote it. However, the lawsuit makes it clear something about the partnership -- officially named D'Usse LLC -- isn't sitting well.
In the docs, Jay-Z's co. says it needs all books and records, the location of all warehouses storing D'Usse barrels, bottles and accessories ... as well as all info regarding Bacardi's physical inventory and its inventory process.
It's unclear what's prompting Jay to demand this info, but it is clear there's a level of distrust between the partners. One sentence from the docs seems pretty telling: SC Liquor says it needs to "monitor the conduct of [Bacardi's] business to protect SC's rights as" a partner in the company.
We've reached out to Jay-Z and Bacardi for comment ... so far, no word back.
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George Floyd Family Exploring Lawsuit Options ... Against Kanye, Candace
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11:32 AM PT -- Floyd family attorney Lee Merritt joined us Monday on "TMZ Live" to further explain the potential lawsuit that might be filed against Kanye West -- and it sounds like intentional infliction of emotional distress might be the route they pursue.
He says George's brother, Philonise Floyd, is dead set on bringing some type of legal action against Ye -- with LM explaining he was irate Sunday when he heard the "Drink Champs" comments. Specifically, Lee says the notion died from an overdose and not Chauvin's knee on his neck is misinformation that's been debunked in court ... and agreed upon by a jury.
Finally, Lee tells us that the fact it was Kanye going after GF made this all the more personal and hurtful. Remember, he set up a college fund for George's daughter in 2020.
George Floyd's family is openly considering a potential lawsuit against Kanye West and Candace Owens -- a case that could be similar to the blockbuster one against Alex Jones, but also different in some key ways.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who's repping the fam, tells TMZ ... he's exploring all possible legal avenues to bring a potential lawsuit over what Kanye said about George on the new "Drink Champs" episode -- and he's also looking into what Candace put out in her new documentary.
Lee's already noted a defamation lawsuit isn't possible because George is deceased, but he is looking into other possible ways the Floyd estate, the George Floyd foundation or the family members themselves could bring claims -- and one path could be emotional distress.
Alex Jones Hit With Almost $1 Billion In Damages In Sandy Hook Defamation Case
The Sandy Hook families were able to successfully sue Alex Jones for defamation because he called the parents actors.
Kanye didn't say anything about George's family members, but his statements -- and allegedly the Owens documentary -- could still have a negative impact on them, which is why Merritt is pursuing grounds for a lawsuit against them.
The bigger point here, though, is that Lee wants Kanye and Candace to understand statements like the ones they're putting out in the world -- namely that George died from a fentanyl OD and pre-existing conditions, but not Derek Chauvin's knee -- are false and hurtful.
Lee tells us that type of rhetoric undermines the Floyd family's efforts to pass legislation, like the George Floyd Policing Act, and their work at large. He also says it deflects blame from the officers who've been convicted in connection to his murder, especially Chauvin.
There's still a lot of groundwork to do before anything's filed -- we're told Lee and the family have to go through Candace's doc, "The Greatest Lie Ever Sold," to see what exactly she said and if there's any basis to bring legal action.
Lee says he believes he'll have a more specific outline of his potential causes of action later this week. He says the family hasn't discussed a dollar amount for which they'd try to sue, but it's a good bet they'd try to get punitive damages -- and given Kanye's worth, those damages would have to be several million to truly punish him.
Originally Published -- 10:16 AM PT
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Thomas Markle I'm An Old, Sickly Man ... So No Need for a Restraining Order
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Thomas Markle insists he's too old and frail to pose any threat to famed paparazzo Jeff Rayner that would necessitate a restraining order ... but Jeff says he still needs the protection because he thinks Thomas has nothing to lose.
According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Thomas is asking a judge to terminate the 2-year restraining order put in place last month ... claiming Jeff is harassing him by, among other things, claiming Jeff lied about him having a gun.
In his request, Thomas writes ... "I am no threat to anyone because I'm 78 years old" ... adding he's had "2 heart attacks, one stroke, and have a cane for walking."
Jeff fired back in his own legal docs ... saying Markle's age and poor health are the exact reasons why he's still worried -- simply put, he thinks Markle has nothing to lose because his time is running out anyway.
He points to Markle's OG threat which read, "If they tell me I've got terminal cancer, then I'll kill [Jeff] because I have nothing to lose."
As we reported, the co-owner of the news agency Coleman-Rayner got the restraining order against Thomas last month after the alleged threat was revealed in Tom Bower's book, "Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between The Windsors."
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Jaime King Estranged Husband Says She's Not Paying Support ... And He's Now Broke as a Joke
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Jaime King's estranged husband, Kyle Newman, claims the actress hasn't ponied up the money the court ordered her to pay him ... and says now he can't afford to live.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Kyle says Jaime hasn't paid even the base amounts of $429/month in child support and $1,000/month in spousal support ordered by the court back in April.
Jaime King Files for Divorce from Husband, Asks for Restraining Order
He says she's also refusing to comply with a court order to disclose info regarding her income.
On top of that, Kyle says Jaime has decimated community property retirement accounts -- snagging over $500k.
Kyle even says she recently listed the family residence for sale without his consent ... and says proceeds of that sale totaling around $1.5 million are now frozen.
Kyle says he's now deep in debt -- pulling a bunch of cash from his retirement accounts to stay afloat.
He says she was the breadwinner of the family and claims he had to put his career as a writer and director on hold to be a stay-at-home dad for their 2 kids.
Kyle wants Jamie to fork over $700k in attorney fees and costs from the proceeds of the sale of the home ... and wants the judge to slap on an extra $50k in sanctions for defying previous court orders.
We contacted Jamie's rep ... so far, no word back.
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A$AP Bari Sued Miami Car Crash Victim Says Time to Pay Up!!!
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A$AP Bari may have moved past his Miami car crash by scooping up a brand new Maybach, but the other guy involved sure hasn’t -- he's now suing the rapper.
A$AP Bari, whose real name is Jabari Shelton, has been hit with a lawsuit over the crash that happened back in July.
According to legal docs obtained by TMZ Hip Hop ... the A$AP Mob co-founder was driving his Mercedes-Benz "carelessly, recklessly, and negligently" when his car collided with another vehicle driven by a guy named Jorge Baez.
As you can see, the car was banged up pretty badly.
Jorge's lawyer, Jared Newman tells TMZ ... the accident left Baez with serious injuries and a bunch of medical bills. He's suing for more than $30K in damages.
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As we've reported ... Kanye West gifted Bari a new Mercedes Maybach SUV just days after the wreck.
Jared says, "It was nice of Kanye West to buy A$AP Bari a new Maybach and enable him to move on like nothing happened, but something did happen and A$AP Bari must pay for his negligence."
A rep for Bari had no comment.
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Stockton PD Arrest Suspected Serial Killer ... After 7 Victims in a Year
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A suspected serial killer is in custody in Northern California -- and police say they caught the guy while he was looking for his next victim ... this after 6 lives have already been taken.
43-year-old Wesley Brownlee was arrested Saturday morning in Stockton ... where Police Chief Stanley McFadden says he appeared to be scoping out a new person to kill. Stockton PD were surveilling him and stopped Brownlee after he left his house in a car around 2 AM. Upon a search, they say they found him armed with a gun and a mask around his neck.
#Stockton
— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) October 15, 2022 @shanermurph
Police surveilled the suspect for quite some time to learn his patterns. They made contact with him at 2 am when they believed he was out “hunting.”
43 year old Wesley Browning was arrested with a firearm for the killings. pic.twitter.com/d0uZbDkOkb
Chief McFadden says there's no doubt in their minds he was "out hunting" and that they stopped another killing. Brownlee was booked for homicide -- although it's unclear if all of the murders are being pinned on him right off the bat.
Six men have been slain dating back to April 2021 -- all of whom were ambushed, shot and killed. Five took place in the Stockton area up through September, and the final one happened in Oakland more than a year ago. A seventh victim, a woman, was also shot in Stockton last year, but survived. A good handful of the victims are said to be homeless.
#BREAKING: Arrest of suspect made in connection with Stockton serial killings that left 6 dead https://t.co/0Jjf2urdNk
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) October 15, 2022 @ABC7
No motive has been ascribed ... none of the victims were beaten or robbed, simply shot and killed. Eventually, police declared they had evidence linking the murders -- and announced a manhunt to find the killer ... offering up as high as a $125k reward for help from the public.
The cops say they nabbed Brownlee working on tips and their own police investigation, and they believe they have their man. Chief McFadden says the case is going to be sent to the D.A.'s office for further consideration of charges. Brownlee will be arraigned Tuesday.
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Kim Kardashian Would-Be Intruder Stopped at Gate ... Fought w/ Security, Caught
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2:05 PM PT -- 10/18 -- Williams was just hit with one misdemeanor criminal trespass charge.
5:21 PM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the man who was taken into custody is named Deandre Williams, and he wasn't able to get near Kim's immediate property thanks to the work of quick-acting security guards who nabbed him near the main community gate.
We're told Williams was able to penetrate the initial barrier and slip through community security at first -- but didn't get far due to an early detection intruder system managed by armed guards and motion detectors. Our sources say it was clear ... he was there for Kim.
We're told this is actually the third such stalking incident tied to Kim and her house ... and it was the same situation with the others as well.
Scary day for Kim Kardashian ... a would-be intruder nearly made his way into her home this weekend, but the guy was stopped just steps away from the front door.
Sources with knowledge tell TMZ ... a man was arrested Saturday around 11 AM after wandering onto Kim's Hidden Hills property unannounced and uninvited. We're told he somehow made it past her gated community entrance and found his way to Kim's mansion.
Our sources security intercepted him and actually detained him right on the grounds -- but he didn't go down easy ... we're told there was a scuffle before he was ultimately pinned.
The cops were called and the man ended up getting taken away in cuffs. Our law enforcement sources say he was booked on battery and trespassing charges. We're also told this gentleman is known to the sheriff's deputies in the area, specifically at this location ... where he's apparently been caught on surveillance video before.
Sources say the man has an infatuation with Kim, but luckily ... it didn't come to fruition today. Unclear if Kim or any of her kids were home -- but a close call either way.
It's far from the first alleged trespasser who's landed on the doorstep of a KarJenner -- it's happened to Kylie, Kendall and others in the family as well. Might be time to start building moats around these places ... seems way too easy for randos to access off the streets.
Originally Published -- 3:28 PM PT
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Van Gogh 'Sunflowers' Masterpiece Vandalized with Tomato Soup
A Van Gogh masterpiece was vandalized with tomato soup ... in the name of environmental activism.
Two protesters from the group, Just Stop Oil, made their way to Van Gogh's "Sunflowers" Friday at the National Gallery in London, and hurled a can of Heinz tomato soup at the famed work.
The protesters, who then glued themselves to the wall beneath the 1889 iconic painting, said they chose a can of tomato soup because it symbolizes the dilemma of Brits who are so strapped because of gas prices they won't be able to heat up food in the coming winter.
Destroying Art To Score Political Points ...
They said, "The cost of living crisis has been driven up by fossil fuels."
The $85 million piece was not damaged, although the frame did suffer minor damage.
This isn't the first protest using art as a target ... a protester smeared cake over the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. Another incident of vandalism ... protesters glued their hands on pieces by Botticelli and Boccioni. And, 2 protesters were arrested in Australia a few days back after gluing themselves to a Picasso.
As for the "Sunflowers" attack ... London bobbies arrested the protesters for criminal damage and criminal trespass.
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Snapchat Sued By Parents After Son Dies from Fentanyl Pill He Got on App
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The parents of a 14-year-old boy who died over 2 years ago after taking a fentanyl-laced pill they say he got from a dealer he found on Snapchat are now taking the social media company to court over his death.
According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Amy and Aaron Neville, plus a handful of other parents who lost their children to a similar fate, are suing Snapchat -- saying it "facilitates the overwhelming majority of lethal fentanyl sales."
The docs say Snap's process for disabling known dangerous accounts on the platform is broken ... saying "Snap provides no reporting mechanism, staffed email address, or even a phone number for users to report underage, dangerous, or violating use of its social media product."
The lawsuit also alleges Snap is specifically designed to attract children and illicit activity, pointing to the features like disappearing messages that make it hard to trace illegal drug transactions that may go down on the app.
Amy's now the VP of Void -- a nonprofit that fights against the spread of illegal drugs like fentanyl -- and her org recently claimed social media companies across the board aren't doing enough to cut off the connection between kids and dealers.
She's said the access to drugs through the app was way too easy ... believing Alexander wouldn't have put himself in a situation that was in person -- but dealing behind a screen made it much simpler.
Snapchat's recently said it's been working to address the issue ... doubling down on efforts to ban drug dealer accounts and blocking search results that involve drug keywords.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages, as well as for stricter action to be taken on the platform to help prevent any more fatalities in the future.
A rep for Snap tells us, "The trafficking of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl is an urgent national crisis. We are devastated that these counterfeit drugs have taken the lives of so many people, and our hearts go out to families who have suffered unimaginable losses. We are committed to bringing every resource to bear to help fight this national crisis, both on Snapchat and across the tech industry overall."
The rep says the company uses, "cutting-edge technology to proactively find and shut down drug dealers’ accounts, and we block search results for drug-related terms, instead redirecting Snapchatters to resources from experts about the dangers of fentanyl."
The rep also says the app offers "in-app and online reporting tools through our Support Site that make it easy for people to report any concerning content to our 24/7 Trust and Safety team to investigate." As well as, "tools for parents to give them insight into who their teens are friends with and talking to on Snapchat, and allow them to also report any content directly to us."